Archive | October, 2009

After the Bulls downed the Spurs in their season opener, I included the following statement in my reasons for concer: “…the fact that the Bulls have to face the Celtics in Boston tonight after beating the Spurs in Chicago last night, a game that threatens to kill all the good mojo created by their game-opening win…” […]

I don’t want to make too much out of the Bulls’ season-opening win over the Spurs. After all, it’s only the first of 82 regular season games, and the Bulls had a built-in advantage: they were well-rested whereas the Spurs had to play the night before and then travel to Chicago for the second game […]

There’s not a lot of data available for a full preview, but I do have some thoughts / questions for the Bulls’ season opener: 1. How long and (more importantly) how well will Derrick Rose play? Remember, he just wants to be the best at his position. 2. Is really Luol Deng ready to go? 3. […]

As part of the TrueHoop Network 2009-10 Season Preview, Henry Abbott published a post about shooting. How does this affect the Bulls? Well, as Henry explains, stat guru Wayne Winston theorizes that “a consistent theme of many bad NBA lineups is that they include two or more players who can’t shoot.” Can you think of any starting […]

There are several things that worry me about the 2009-10 Bulls season. The first-half schedule. Vinny Del Negro’s coaching. Luol Deng’s ability to return from injury and regain his 2006-07 form. Tyrus Thomas’ maturity, decision-making and proclivity for jump-shooting. The continuing lack of an inside scoring threat. Defensive rebounding. Team defense in general. One thing […]

In a move that’s not exactly stunning the basketball world, the Bulls have picked up contract options for Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah for the 2010-11 season. When a team can lock up two quality players for less than $9 million combined for one season — Rose will earn a tad over $5.5 million while Noah will receive about […]

Crystal Ball The consensus prediction of the TrueHoop Network bloggers…and the best hopes of By The Horns. Crowd Says: 43-39 By The Horns Says: 46-36 Yes We Can! The sun is out. The seas have parted. The basketball gods are shining upon us! During the offseason, the Bulls lost free agent Ben Gordon, whom many […]

…Tyrus Thomas or rookie Taj Gibson? Nobody knows yet, except possibly Vinny Del Negro. But the coach isn’t talking. However, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports that Gibson played with the first unit during yesterday’s practice. Tyrus was asked about the situation afterward, but he “politely declined to discuss the situation, smiling as he waved […]

Through seven preseason games, the Bulls have earned a pretty sweet record of 5-2. But there are problems. The main problem is that Derrick Rose injured his right ankle during the first preseason game and it hasn’t fully healed. He’ll almost certainly sit out of Friday’s final preseason game against the Wizards, and he could […]

Chicago’s preseason primer is almost over. It ended last night with an exciting (by preseason standards) 101-98 home defeat by the Orlando Magic. The Bulls ended a successful 5-2 preseason with questions and a bit of controversy. The questions revolve around continuity. With starters (particularly Rose) missing time, Vinny Del Negro was forced to use […]